Kirksville beats Canton 8-0, setting a new program record winning streak

Friday

May 3, 2013 at 10:07 AMMay 3, 2013 at 10:11 AM

Ryan Ronan @RyanRonan_KDE

KIRKSVILLE - Already leading 3-0, Kirksville came out looking to put Canton away early in the second half. Kallie Holte got the ball around midfield and was being tracked by three Canton defenders. Holte made a series of moves that left all the defensive players jumping and diving for the ball as she kept full control moving quickly towards the net. She then faked out the keeper and she went sliding by. Holte put the ball in the back of the net for her third goal, and Kirksville was on their way to an 8-0 win.

Holte opened the scoring on a penalty kick just seven minutes into the game. She picked up her second goal with just over five minutes left as she made it 3-0. Sandwiched between the Holte goals was a put-back goal by Maddie Lawson.

Just minutes after Holte made it 4-0, Bailey Guiles let go a looping shot from about 30 yards away that reached the net as it went just over the keeper’s outstretched arms. Less than 30 seconds, later Holte took the ball and went right through the middle of the Canton defense and charged right to the net, scoring her fourth goal and making it, 6-0.

With 18 minutes left in the game Natalie Moore scored off a rebound that made it 7-0, and Emily Schwend made it 8-0 when she outran two defenders around the corner.

“It was a good victory for us. The conditions were horrible and that slowed us down a little bit, but after we got used to it and made some adjustments we got things going in the second half,” said Kirksville head coach Shawn Meintz.

The Lady Tigers closed out the home portion of their 2013 season on Thursday.

“We have had some really big accomplishments this season. We have scored more goals than ever before. This win gave us a record six-game winning streak. It has just been a season full of breaking records,” said Meintz.

It’s hard to talk Lady Tiger records and not bring up Holte. The KHS single-season record for goals was 16. Holte now has 44. She has blown by the KHS career record, which previously stood at 48.

Being the last home game of the regular season that also meant it was senior night. The senior group was a small one with only three members: Jessy Bartholomew, Nikki Coy, and Cassie Novinger.

“It’s a bittersweet night. I’m ready to go on to college and other things but I’m going to miss my teammates and my home. It’s really cool to think that my name is going to be linked to this winning team,” said Coy.

Novinger missed a large portion during the middle of the season, and is now back and making an impact as Kirksville allows a goal a game less with Novinger on the backline.

“I’m just glad I got to finish my career after being out for so long. It just feels phenomenal to go out with this kind of season as a senior. We have had really good season and we work well together, I’m just glad to be part of it,” said Novinger.

Bartholomew always seems to be in the right place at the right time to put the ball in the net.

“It’s kind of sad and happy at the same time, because it is almost over, but we have had so much success this year that just makes it awesome,” said Bartholomew.

This senior class of three, started as a freshman class of 15.

“This has been a hard working group and by these three sticking around they have become a huge part of our team. They are just a group of go-getters that have helped our program and will be missed,” said Meintz.

Kirksville will close out the regular season on Monday as they travel to Boonville and look to improve their 13-8-1 record before they host district play on May 11.